Responsible
by jadc90
Summary: A case involves Casey's mother and fifteen year old half-sister.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note: This is very loosely based on the case in Season 8, Episode 18 Responsible. I am not using the teenagers from the episode. **

**Chapter One**

Elliot looked away from the picture of the dead girl, who reminded him of his daughter. He took a moment to calm down before he said anything. "Kaley Hagan. Sixteen years old. Found by her father when he went out to get the morning paper. Someone left her on her doorstep."

Olivia looked at the lab report and her eyes widened. "Her blood alcohol was .24."

"That's three times the legal limit," Casey said.

"She only weighed 100 pounds," Olivia added.

"Cause of death was aspiration. She drank herself to death. Her parents thought she was at the movies," Elliot said, shaking his head. "Where does a sixteen year old get alcohol?"

"Not at the movies, that's for sure," Olivia said.

Munch stood up and walked over to the center of the squad room. "So she lied, told her parents she was going to the movies when she was really going to a party."

"Where was the party?" Olivia said, thinking out loud.

"Well, where did she go to school?" Cragen asked.

Olivia glanced down at her notes. "Hanover Day School."

"Hey, isn't that where your sister goes?" Elliot asked, squinting at Casey.

Casey nodded. "She's a sophomore."

"So was Kaley," Olivia said.

"Talk to the kids at Hanover Day," Cragen ordered.

* * *

"And how do you know Miss Brown?" The doorman in the Upper East Side high-rise her mom and half-sister were currently staying in sneered at Casey.

"I'm her daughter," Casey said.

"You don't look like Mackenzie," the doorman said in a condescending tone.

"That's because I'm not," Casey said, annoyance and impatience creeping into her voice. "I'm Casey Novak, Mackenzie's sister."

"Well, you're not on the list. I'll call Miss Brown now…"

"You do that," Casey told him.

After a hushed conversation with her mom, the doorman buzzed Casey in.

Her mom was staying in the penthouse, of course. Laura Brown didn't waste her time with anyone who wasn't a multimillionaire. No plain old millionaires for her.

"Casey! This is a surprise," Laura's make-up was perfect even though it was Saturday morning and she wasn't expecting anyone.

"Hi, Mom," Casey said.

"Don't you look…professional," Laura said, taking in Casey's off-the-rack discount suit with a quick eye flick.

"Thanks," Casey said sarcastically, rolling her eyes at the mixture of disapproval and condescension in her mother's voice. "Is Mackenzie here?"

Laura pouted a little. "I thought you came to see me. I haven't seen you in _ages_."

"You've been busy," Casey said dryly. The last time she'd heard from Laura had been six months ago, when Laura wanted Casey to recommend a new divorce attorney.

Laura flitted in and out of her oldest daughter's life at her convenience, only making an appearance when she wanted something.

The sad thing was Casey preferred it that way. Laura would never understand her, and she would never understand Laura.

"I have _so_ much to tell you." Laura wandered into the living room, her strappy heels clicking on the hard wood floors.

Resigned, Casey followed Laura into the living room, where a maid promptly offered her a drink. She murmured her thanks as she accepted a cup of coffee.

"I didn't get anything from Richard in the divorce. Can you believe it? I was with him for _two years_," Laura said, making it sound like she'd been married to him for a lifetime. Of course, for Laura, two years was an awfully long time. Laura frowned. "I used the divorce attorney you recommended. I won't be using him again."

Laura was always the victim. In her mind, she honestly believed she was entitled to half of everything Richard owned because she'd spent two years married to him.

Casey stared at Laura. "You signed a pre-nup. It was iron-clad. Houdini himself couldn't have gotten out of it."

Laura sniffed. "Thank God I met Tom."

Casey struggled to be patient as Laura told the story of how she met the owner of the penthouse.

"Mackenzie," Casey said, breathing a sigh of relief when the teenager finally came out of her room, and not a moment too soon. Casey knew more about Tom than she'd ever wanted to know.

Mackenzie was fifteen and looked exactly like their mother. Casey had inherited her red hair and green eyes from her father, where Mackenzie had their mother's honey blonde hair and blue eyes.

Surprise registered on Mackenzie's face. "Casey?"

"Mackenzie, come here, sit down." Laura patted the space next to her on the sofa and Casey couldn't help but notice the big diamond engagement ring on her finger. Laura worked fast. The ink hadn't even dried on the divorce papers yet and she was already engaged.

Mackenzie looked at Laura wearily. "Mom, I have to go. I have soccer."

"I'll give you a ride," Casey said, seeing it as an opportunity to talk to Mackenzie alone.

"Mackenzie, wait," Laura said before they could leave. "Tom heard you come in last night. It woke him up."

"Sorry," Mackenzie mumbled.

"Just don't let it happen again. I know Richard was very…indulgent with you, but you can't expect everyone to be that way, honey," Laura told her.

* * *

"Where were you last night?" Casey asked as they rode the elevator down to the lobby.

It was the way she would question a witness in court. Casey didn't mean for it to sound like she was questioning her sister. She didn't even realize how it sounded. It was just what Casey did.

Mackenzie tilted her head to the right and looked at Casey, wondering why the sudden interest in her social calendar. "Why?"

"Were you at a party?" Casey asked, giving Mackenzie a knowing look.

Mackenzie looked surprised and a little sheepish. "How'd you know?"

Casey took a deep breath. "Was Kaley Hagan at the party?"

"I don't know." Mackenzie thought for a moment. "I think I saw her with Luke…why?"

"This morning her parents found her…" Casey heaved out a sigh, deciding there was no easy way to say this. "Dead."

"What? _How?_"

"Her blood alcohol was three times the legal limit," Casey said as they got off the elevator. She paused, gave her sister a moment to process it. She turned to face Mackenzie when they were in front of the high-rise, her brow furrowed. "Was she a friend of yours?"

"She didn't really hang out with my group of friends," Mackenzie replied.

Casey nodded, started to her car. "Where was the party?"

Mackenzie stopped and glared at Casey, the unexpected visit making sense now. "_That's_ why you're here."

Casey said nothing and her expression was carefully blank.

"You're here as the ADA." Mackenzie continued. "I should've known. It's not a holiday and Mom's not getting married today."

She thought she was talking to her sister, but Casey was in ADA mode. Casey was just using her to find out where the party was. It put Mackenzie in a bad position.

Mackenzie wasn't going to rat anyone out.

Casey pursed her lips. Mackenzie was right and there wasn't anything she could say to change that. She wouldn't be there right now if she didn't think her sister could help her case.

"I'm done playing twenty questions. I'm not going to tell you anything else," Mackenzie said.

"You don't have to talk. Just listen to me," Casey said, looking her half-sister in the eye. "On Monday morning the detectives are going to be at your school. They're going to talk to everyone and someone _will_ tell them where the party was and who was there. I hope you weren't drinking."

It was true that Casey only saw Mackenzie on holidays and at their mother's weddings, but Mackenzie was still her sister. Casey didn't want the detectives to have any reason to bring Mackenzie in.

Mackenzie gave a short laugh. "This is New York. Don't the police have anything better to do than break up high school parties? Are they also cracking down on jaywalking?"

"This isn't just about underage drinking. This is about homicide," Casey told her.

Mackenzie frowned and looked at Casey like she'd lost her mind. "Homicide? What's the murder weapon? A red cup? This isn't Colonel Mustard with the candlestick in the dining room. No one forced the alcohol down her throat."

"But someone provided the alcohol," Casey said.

"I'm not in second grade. I'm not going to tattle, and it's not cool of you to ask me to. I think I'll walk," Mackenzie said, walking off in the opposite direction.

* * *

Hanover Day lost the game.

Mackenzie was good, but she had an off day. Her mind just wasn't on the game.

Since Mackenzie and Paige were the only two sophomores on Varsity and were also, sadly enough, the best players on the team, they didn't just lose. They got shut out.

"What's wrong?" Paige asked as they walked off the field.

Mackenzie took a sip of water from her water bottle. "My sister came over this morning."

"Casey or Jennifer?" Paige wanted to know.

"Half. Not step. Ex-step?" Mackenzie's brow creased. "God, my family should be on Jerry Springer."

"So Casey?" Paige prompted.

"That's the one," Mackenzie said.

"And? Did she get in a fight with your mom?" Paige guessed.

"Shockingly no. Or, at least if they were fighting, there was no yelling and no crying," Mackenzie replied. "The crying would be on my mom's part," she added with a small smile. "Casey's not really a crier. I don't know that she's capable of human emotion."

"Uh-oh. What happened?" Paige asked.

"I don't know if I'm supposed to say anything," Mackenzie muttered.

Casey hadn't said whether she could say anything about Kaley's death and the looming presence of the detectives at school on Monday.

"You can tell me anything," Paige told her sincerely.

Mackenzie gave her a small smile and filled Paige in on her conversation with Casey.

Paige looked at her best friend with genuine empathy. "She told you Kaley died right before the game."

"It's not like we were good friends or anything, but I knew her and she was our age. I can't believe she's dead," Mackenzie tried to explain why it had upset her as much as it had.

"I know," Paige murmured sadly. She felt the same way.

"_And then_ Casey tried to get me to tell her where the party was," Mackenzie added. The sadness and frustration in her voice were gone. Now there was pure anger in her voice.

"She doesn't know you very well then. That's her loss," Paige said. She knew Mackenzie would never betray her friends. Mackenzie was loyal, to a fault where her mother was concerned.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two**

Elliot and Olivia were at Hanover Day School bright and early on Monday morning when the kids started getting there. Cars that cost more than the teachers at the school made in a year filled the student parking lot. Drivers parked sleek black town cars in front of the school and ran around to open the passenger door for the teenagers they were chauffeuring. Boys wore burgundy and silver striped ties and burgundy blazers, where girls wore white collared shirts and plaid skirts. The detectives split up, talking to every one of the kids.

"What are you doing after school today?" Jennifer demanded of her brother as their dad's driver stopped in front of the school. She was tired of Josh disappearing when all she wanted to do was go home.

"I don't know," Josh said absently, scanning the courtyard. He smiled when he saw Mackenzie.

Jennifer followed his gaze to Mackenzie. Mackenzie was with Paige, of course. Those two were always together.

"See you later." Josh left without a second glance at Jennifer.

Jennifer scowled as she watched her brother join Mackenzie and Paige. Mackenzie turned to Josh, grinning. Everyone loved Mackenzie, even her own father and brother. And no one loved her.

"Excuse me," Olivia said, walking over to Jennifer.

"What?" Jennifer said with attitude.

Olivia blinked, surprised at the open hostility. "Do you know this girl?" Olivia showed her a picture of Kaley Hagan.

Jennifer looked at the picture. "Kaley Hagan."

"Did you see her at the party on Friday night?" Olivia asked.

"I wasn't at the party," Jennifer said bitterly.

Olivia didn't think Jennifer was lying. Jennifer had a big chip on her shoulder. Maybe she hadn't been invited.

Jennifer didn't look like the other kids who had been at the party. She wasn't ugly, but she was very average with mousy brown hair, and the permanent look of distaste on her face didn't help.

"Ok. Do you know anyone who was?" Olivia asked one last question.

Jennifer glanced in the direction of Josh, Mackenzie, and Paige. Her lips curved into an unpleasant smile. "Mackenzie Phillips."

"Thank you," Olivia said.

"Oh, Officer?" Jennifer said before Olivia could leave.

"It's Detective actually," Olivia corrected automatically.

"Here." Jennifer pulled a crumpled piece of paper out of the bottom of her backpack.

Olivia looked at the piece of paper. It was a flyer for the party, complete with all the details. She frowned. "I thought you said you didn't go to the party."

"I didn't," Jennifer said. "Everyone knew about the party. The flyers were all over school on Friday."

"Ok, thank you," Olivia said. She hurried over to her partner. "El! Look at this."

The detectives left Hanover Day School with a list of the names of everyone who attended the party and several secondhand accounts of Kaley drinking.

* * *

It was a productive morning, Olivia thought, as she pinned the flyer Jennifer had given her to the board in the squad room.

"The party was at Michael Malone's house," Olivia announced.

"Look at this. He charged his friends ten bucks to get in," Elliot said, looking at the flyer for the party.

"That'll cover the keg," Olivia added.

"Let me see that." Casey walked over to the board to look at the flyer. "He promised his friends beer pong. Who provided the beer?"

Olivia shook her head. "We don't know. We _do_ know that Luke Young took Kaley home."

"Drunk," Elliot added.

"Right, and when he couldn't find her keys, he left her on the doorstep," Olivia said.

"Did he admit to driving drunk?" Casey asked.

"No, but several people saw him drinking at the party," Elliot replied.

"Kaley's dad wants us to charge him. Do we have enough evidence to charge him?" Olivia looked over at Casey.

Casey lifted her index finger. "Not unless we can get him to admit to driving drunk. We have no way of knowing what his blood alcohol was. Leaving her on the doorstep doesn't make him guilty of murder." Casey tapped the flyer. "It was Michael's party and he promised drinking games. Collar him."

* * *

Michael Malone was sitting back in the chair in the interrogation room with his legs stretched out. He glanced up at the glass and smirked, then leaned his head back.

"He doesn't seem scared," Casey said, watching the sixteen year old.

"He's not," Olivia told her.

"Where are the parents?" Casey asked.

"On their way. And so is the lawyer," Elliot replied.

They watched, waiting for any sign of the nervousness a kid who had been arrested should feel. There wasn't any. On the contrary, Michael Malone was overly confident.

Sophie bustled into the hallway. "Where's my client?"

"Sophie." Casey was a little bit weary of the defense attorney since they needed Michael to talk and that was not likely to happen now.

"Casey. My client?"

"In there." Casey inclined her head toward the interrogation room.

Sophie raised an eyebrow at the location. "I hope your detectives haven't asked him any questions."

"We haven't," Elliot told her.

Michael Malone didn't tell them anything. Sophie made sure of that.

Casey went to arraignment armed with the flyer and statements from half the students at Hanover Day School.

* * *

"Charges are criminally negligent homicide. How does the defendant plead?" Judge Donnelly looked over at Michael.

"Not guilty, your honor," Sophie said. "The charges against my client are ridiculous. The people can't prove he was anywhere near Kaley Hagan when she died."

"Kaley's blood alcohol was .24. Cause of death was aspiration. She was drinking alcohol provided by the defendant in the defendant's house before she died," Casey said with conviction.

"The people have no proof that my client provided the alcohol," Sophie countered.

"We have a flyer for a party at Michael Malone's house promising beer pong." Casey handed the flyer to Judge Donnelly with flourish.

Sophie lifted a finger. "Beer pong. _Not_ beer."

Casey rolled her eyes. "That's semantics, your honor."

"My client is only sixteen years old. He can't buy alcohol," Sophie said.

"Not legally," Casey said pointedly.

"That's enough," Judge Donnelly interrupted the back and forth. "There is insufficient evidence to proceed as a homicide. I'm releasing Michael Malone to the custody his parents. However, the minor is under judicial order to abstain from alcohol and furthermore he is forbidden to be anywhere where alcohol is served except in the presence of his parents. Am I clear?" Judge Donnelly raised her eyebrows.

Sophie nudged Michael. "Yes, your honor," Michael said after a moment.

"So he can't party for two weeks. Big deal," Elliot muttered to Olivia from their seats in the courtroom.

"He's not twenty-one. He shouldn't be drinking in the first place," Olivia said.

Casey walked over to the detectives. "We need someone to tell us who bought the booze."

Elliot rose. "I'm having dinner with Kathleen on Friday. I'll ask her where kids get alcohol."

Elliot shouldn't have to wait until Friday to see his kid.

He still couldn't accept – _wouldn't_ accept – that Kathy wanted a divorce. They'd been married since they were _seventeen_ for crying out loud. Elliot firmly believed in the sanctity of marriage. He didn't understand how Kathy could just take the kids – _his_ kids - and move out after everything they'd been through together. He'd done everything he was supposed to do. He had a good job. He was a good husband, a good father.

It had been hard on the kids. Elliot was going to be there for them whether they lived with him or not, but right now it was in a limited capacity. With Kathy's permission, he was meeting his daughter for dinner on Friday night for the first time since they'd moved in with Kathy's mom.

* * *

Elliot set his menu down, studied his daughter.

Kathleen was seventeen. That was the same age Kathy was when she got pregnant with Maureen. It was only a year older than their victim, the sixteen year old who died from drinking. Kathleen drank, Elliot knew. She'd been sixteen when he was called to the 15th precinct because she'd been drinking and driving.

"Where does a kid your age get alcohol?" Elliot asked.

"Dad." Kathleen gave a laugh at the random question. "What's up?"

"A girl your age died, Kathleen," Elliot told her.

Kathleen frowned. "From drinking?"

"Yeah, we think someone bought the alcohol for her," Elliot said.

"Or maybe she got it herself," Kathleen suggested.

Elliot considered the possibility. "Fake ID?"

"Or online. All you need is a credit card. It's easier than getting into an R-rated movie," Kathleen told him.

"Excuse me?" Elliot said.

Kathleen signaled the waitress to show her dad how easy it was. "I'll take whatever's light on tap."

The waitress looked at Elliot. "How 'bout you?"

"Uh, she's gonna have an ice tea and I'm fine." Elliot looked at Kathleen pointedly. "Ice tea."

Kathleen grinned proudly. "See? It's easy."

Elliot's eyes narrowed in concern at how easily Kathleen had ordered a beer.

"Don't worry, Dad. I don't even like beer," Kathleen told him.

"If you did, would you tell me?" Elliot wondered.

"No," Kathleen said with a laugh.

"Guess I'll just have to read your diary," Elliot said teasingly.

Kathleen rolled her eyes. "Dad, no one keeps diaries anymore. If you want to find out what kids are up to, just go on Facebook."

* * *

Elliot couldn't believe that these supposedly smart kids were posting everything they were doing on the Internet, but there it was, in color, on the computer in the precinct.

"Can you pull up Michael Malone's page, honey, please?" Elliot asked Kathleen.

"Sure." Kathleen typed in _Michael Malone_ and hit search.

"What's that?" Elliot pointed to a thumbnail picture of Michael holding a shot glass. There were several pictures of the sixteen year old drinking and smoking for anyone with access to a computer to see. Kathleen opened the picture Elliot had pointed to, making it bigger.

"Look at that. It has today's date on it," Olivia said, looking at the picture.

"Judge Donnelly specifically ordered him not to drink," Casey said.

"Where is he?" Elliot asked his daughter.

"I don't know," Kathleen murmured, going back to Michael's profile page.

"Meghan Hendricks asked him if he was going to the party at Rebecca's house," Olivia said, reading a post on his Facebook page.

"Rebecca. We talked to a Rebecca Rice," Elliot muttered.

"Let's go get him," Olivia said.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three**

There was nowhere to park on the street. There were expensive little sports cars and luxury sedans with Hanover Day stickers on the back parked up and down the street. Elliot circled back around and parallel parked down the block from Rebecca's house.

Elliot raised a hand to knock, but the door opened before he could. A boy stepped out, fumbling with a pack of cigarettes.

Elliot held a finger to his lips, signaling the boy to be quiet, and the detectives slipped past the boy into the party.

There were about twenty kids talking, laughing, and dancing to the beat of hip hop music. No one noticed the two uninvited guests in all the chaos.

"Look at this. Dancing, beer pong, card games. You got yourself a regular frat house here," Olivia said, announcing their presence.

The kids all had the same deer-in-headlights look. Three boys tried to make a break for it. The detectives caught them easily, cuffed them.

Elliot walked into the living room to turn the stereo off. He saw a bong on the coffee table and picked it up. "Detective, look at this."

"You guys are breaking the law all over the place," Olivia said. "You're busted. Let's go."

* * *

Casey was used to late night phone calls. It was part of the job. Rapists and murderers didn't sleep and so neither did she.

When she got to the precinct at eleven seventeen pm, Casey saw that it wasn't a rapist or murderer this time. It was her half-sister.

"Mackenzie, what are you doing here?" Casey asked.

Olivia looked from the teenager she was currently leading back to the cage to the ADA in surprise. "You two know each other?"

"Yeah, she's my sister," Casey told Olivia.

Elliot scrubbed a hand down his face. "She didn't tell us who she was."

He wouldn't have arrested Casey's sister if he'd known who she was. He had found the ADA annoying at first, but they'd developed a good working relationship. Casey was one of them now and they took care of their own.

Elliot had used his shield to take care of his own daughter's arrest and he would do the same thing for Casey's sister if he could. Unfortunately, it would be difficult in this case. They couldn't arrest everyone at the party except Mackenzie.

"Uh, Casey, she was at a party and she was drinking," Olivia said awkwardly.

Casey looked around in astonishment, noticing the other teenagers in the squad room for the first time. Michael Malone was in the holding cell and he wasn't alone. There had to be a dozen teenagers there. "All of them were drinking?"

"Drinking, smoking pot, you name it," Olivia said.

"Mackenzie wasn't smoking, just drinking," Elliot qualified.

"Uh, that we know of," Olivia added.

"I wasn't smoking," Mackenzie said.

"Ok." Casey took a few seconds to think, then zeroed in on Mackenzie. "Where's Mom?"

Mackenzie shrugged, shook her head. "I don't know."

"We've been trying to reach her, but she's not answering," Elliot put in.

"The other kids' parents are all on their way," Olivia added.

"I'll try her again." Casey already had her cell phone out.

Laura didn't answer, which was typical. Of course, when Laura needed something, she just kept calling until Casey answered. "Mom, it's Casey. Mackenzie was arrested. Call me back."

The message was blunt, short and to the point.

As Casey was leaving the message, Olivia looked away to give her some semblance of privacy. She spotted Jennifer with a distinguished looking man. "Jennifer. What are you doing here?"

"You know her, Jennifer?" Richard looked down at his daughter, frowning slightly.

"Detective Olivia Benson," Olivia introduced herself. "And, yes, your daughter helped us by answering a few questions."

"I'm Richard Grant. My son…" Richard trailed off, seeing Mackenzie. "Mackenzie?"

Mackenzie glanced at her mother's fourth husband, the man who had been more of a parent to her during his short, two-year marriage to her mother than her own parents. She gave him a small smile. "Richard. I think Josh is back there." Mackenzie looked over her shoulder at the holding cell.

"Joshua Grant," Elliot murmured, putting it together. "He's in the holding cell. Right this way."

"Don't say anything," Richard ordered Mackenzie. "Do you understand me?"

Mackenzie nodded. "I understand."

"Good. I called a friend of mine from law school. He should be here soon. He'll take care of this. Jennifer, stay here." Richard went with Elliot, leaving Jennifer fuming. Her father had been so worried about Mackenzie that he had barely remembered she was there.

"He's my dad, not yours," Jennifer wanted to make sure Mackenzie knew. "Where's your gold-digging whore of a mother?"

Olivia gasped "Jennifer!" Olivia chided, eyes darting to Casey since it was her mother Jennifer was talking about. Casey winced in spite of herself at the accurate description of Laura. Her mother was a sore point for her.

"Aw, did you miss her? I'll tell her you said hi," Mackenzie said, pretending it didn't bother her, when really it did.

"I can't believe his friend is going to help you. He's not even married to your mom anymore. Why can't she get you a lawyer? Your sister's a lawyer. Why can't she help you?" Jennifer demanded.

"I can call a defense attorney for you, but I don't think you need one," Casey said to her sister in a soft, husky voice.

Mackenzie looked over at Casey, her brow creased. "That's your great legal advice?"

"You're fifteen. You're a minor. You don't have any priors." Casey narrowed her eyes at Mackenzie. "You don't have any priors, right?"

Mackenzie shook her head. "No, of course not."

Olivia watched their ADA do a good impression of a defense attorney, frowning. "Casey, can I talk to you for a minute?"

Annoyance registered on Casey's face. "Can it wait?"

"No, it can't," Olivia said flatly.

Once Mackenzie was in the cage with the other kids, Olivia pulled Casey into the hallway.

"What the hell was that?" Olivia demanded.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Casey said, playing dumb.

"You sounded like a defense attorney out there," Olivia said.

"Oh, please," Casey scoffed, "anyone with a law degree would tell her exactly what I just told her."

"She was drinking and she's underage," Olivia reminded her.

"And if she hadn't been drinking with Michael Malone, she wouldn't be here right now," Casey said.

"But she was," Olivia said. "Casey, she might know who provided the alcohol the night Kaley Hagan died."

Casey shook her head. "She won't tell us anything."

Olivia stared at Casey. "You interviewed her?"

Casey met the detective's gaze, held it. "I asked her where the party was."

"You shouldn't have done that," Olivia said.

Casey shot Olivia a look. "She's my sister and what I talk to her about is none of your business."

Olivia raised her eyebrows. "It is if it affects the case."

"She didn't tell me anything," Casey said through gritted teeth.

Cragen poked his head around the corner. "There you two are. Trevor Langan is here and so are the parents."

* * *

All of her friends were being released into the custody of their parents and her mother was MIA.

Paige hadn't left without her. And Josh was still there, too. They were there for her, even when her own mother wasn't.

"Mackenzie." Paige's blue eyes glittered with sympathy.

"She can come with us," Josh said.

Richard looked down at his son, nodded. "I'm her stepfather."

"No, you're not. You divorced Laura," Jennifer whined.

"I'm sorry," Cragen said sincerely, "but you're not a parent or legal guardian."

Paige looked at her mom pleadingly. "Mom, do something."

Mrs. McCormick shook her head, looked at Mackenzie apologetically. "There's nothing we can do. I'm sorry, Mackenzie."

Mrs. McCormick was planning on paying Mackenzie's mother a little visit, but she decided to keep that to herself. She didn't like Laura Brown and she knew she might be wasting her time.

"You guys should go. I'll be fine." Mackenzie struggled to smile, but it looked like more of a grimace.

"Are you sure?" Paige asked.

Mackenzie nodded. "Yes. Go home. We're not having a slumber party in a jail cell."

"Here's my card if you need anything." Trevor passed a business card to Mackenzie through the bars of the cage.

"Thank you." Mackenzie stuffed the business card in her pocket.

Casey locked eyes with Cragen. "Can I have a minute?"

Cragen nodded. "My office."

It wasn't hard for Casey to convince Cragen to let her take her half-sister to her office. She tried to convince him to let her take Mackenzie home, but he didn't go for that. They couldn't release the teenager, not without a parent or legal guardian. This way they still had her in custody – the custody of the ADA.

"Ok, here's the deal, you can go to my office with me, or you can spend the night here." Casey gave her sister a smug smile.

There was a brief flicker of surprise in Mackenzie's eyes. "Your office."

Surprised, Olivia cut her eyes to Cragen, who nodded his approval. She shrugged and opened the cage.

Mackenzie let out a sigh of relief and smiled at Casey. "Thank you."

"Come on, let's get out of here," Casey said, putting her hand on her half-sister's shoulder.

"Casey?" Cragen called after her, and she turned to look at him, her brow furrowed. "If anything happens, I'm holding you personally responsible."

Casey nodded slowly, led Mackenzie to the hallway.

Elliot followed them. "Casey, it's late. Your office is all the way across town. I'll take you."

"Who said chivalry is dead?" Casey said.

* * *

Casey had a stack of case files on her desk. She was an overworked, underpaid public servant. If she was going to be stuck in her office all night, she could use the night to make a dent in the paperwork she was behind on.

She sat down at her desk and opened a file. Mackenzie sat down across from her.

"Can I use your phone? Is that allowed?" Mackenzie asked.

Casey looked at her watch. "Who do you want to call at…twelve twenty?"

"Paige," Mackenzie replied. "I just want to tell her I'm ok."

Casey nodded. "Go ahead."

Mackenzie picked up the phone, dialed. "Paige?"

"Mackenzie! Where are you?"

"I'm not in jail. I'm in Casey's office."

"I'm glad you called. Your mom's in the Hamptons."

Mackenzie frowned. "What? You talked to my mom?"

Casey froze at the mention of Laura and looked over at Mackenzie.

"No. My mom went over there to talk to her and the doorman said she was in the Hamptons."

Mackenzie let out a short breath, shook her head. "She's in the Hamptons. She's not going to let a little thing like me getting arrested ruin her romantic vacation."

"Mom's in the Hamptons?" Casey said as soon as Mackenzie hung up the phone.

Mackenzie nodded.

"And she's not coming back?" Casey looked at her half-sister in disbelief, frowned.

"If she doesn't, what's going to happen tomorrow?" Mackenzie asked.

"At arraignment? Trevor will enter a plea for you and Judge Donnelly will release you and your friends to your parents." Casey sighed, shut her case file. "I don't know what will happen if Mom isn't there. It's highly unusual."

"I could go to jail," Mackenzie said.

"Yes," Casey answered honestly. "But I'm not gonna let that happen if I can help it."

"I didn't help you, so why are you helping me?" Mackenzie wondered.

"Because you're my sister," Casey said.


End file.
